Penstemon plant named &#39;Dopensprispin&#34;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Penstemon  plant named ‘Dopensprispin’ characterized by its upright and tall plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; pink-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Penstemon barbatus X Penstemon heterophyllus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPENSPRISPIN’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant, botanically known as Penstemon barbatus X Penstemon heterophyllus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dopensprispin’.

The new Penstemon plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new freely-branching Penstemon plants with attractive flower color.

The new Penstemon plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2013 in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, of a proprietary selection of Penstemon barbatus identified as code number PE-0011, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Penstemon heterophyllus as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Penstemon plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in May, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Penstemon plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands since June, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Penstemon plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Penstemon have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dopensprispin’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dopensprispin’ as a new and distinct Penstemon plant:

1. Upright and tall plant habit.

2. Vigorous growth habit.

3. Freely branching habit.

4. Freely flowering habit.

5. Long flowering period.

6. Pink-colored flowers.

7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Penstemon differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in branching habit as plants of the new Penstemon are more freely branching than plants of the female parent selection. In addition, flowers of plants of the new Penstemon are lighter in color than flowers of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Penstemon can also be compared to plants of Penstemon schmidel ‘Marble Riding Hood’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,098. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Penstemon and ‘Marble Riding Hood’ differ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Penstemon are taller than plants of ‘Marble Riding Hood’.

2. Plants of the new Penstemon are more freely branching than plants of ‘Marble Riding Hood’.

3. Plants of the new Penstemon have smaller leaves than plants of ‘Marble Riding Hood’.

4. Plants of the new Penstemon have pink-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Marble Riding Hood’ have light red purple and white-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Penstemon plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Penstemon plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of typical flowering plant of ‘Dopensprispin’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 17-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Penstemon production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 22° C. and night temperatures averaged 17° C. Plants were pinched one time and were three months old when the photograph was taken and 22 weeks old when the detailed description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Penstemon barbatus X Penstemon     heterophyllus ‘Dopensprispin’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Penstemon             barbatus identified as code number PE-0011, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of             Penstemon X heterophyllus, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 16 days             at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 20 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial typically grown             as a container and garden plant; upright and tall plant             habit; vigorous growth habit; rapid growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 48 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 35 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity of lateral branches: Freely             branching habit, about eight to ten primary lateral branches             develop per plant. Length: About 48 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm to 4 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture; Smooth, glabrous. Color,             developing: Close to 144B. Color, developed: Close to 144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 21 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 143C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 139D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape, arrangement and flowering habit.—Single             bi-labiate flowers arranged on terminal racemes; flowers             face mostly outwardly; freely flowering with about 30 to 34             flowers developing per inflorescence; about 200 flower buds             and about 240 to 300 open flowers developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Early flowering habit, plants begin to             flower about twelve weeks after planting.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants             flower from June to August in The Netherlands; flowers last             about two weeks on the plant, flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length; About 5 mm to 8 mm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Shape: Elongate ovoid. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 145B.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 32 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 9 cm.         -   Flower width (horizontal).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower length (vertical).—About 2.5 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 3 cm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five, fused into a tube; bi-labiate,             upper lip with two upper petals and lower lip with three             lower petals. Length, upper and lower lips: About 1 cm.             Width, upper and lower lips: About 7 min. Shape: Oval to             rounded. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire; not undulate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             proximally, sparsely pubescent. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 56C. When opening, lower surface: Close to             54D. Fully opened, upper surface: Proximally, close to 56C;             distally, close to 56A; venation, proximally, close to 71A             and distally, close to 56A; color does not change with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 56A;             venation, close to 56A; color does not change with             development.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused in a single whorl.             Length: About 7 mm. Width; About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing and fully             developed, upper surface: Close to 143C. Developing and             fully developed, lower surface: Close to 143C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 48 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Aspect: Upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 143C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Filament length: About 2 cm to 2.5 cm. Filament color: Close             to 155D. Anther size: About 3 mm by 1 mm. Anther shape: Oval             to rounded. Anther color: Close to 161C. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 155C. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.2 cm. Style length:             About 2.1 cm. Style color: Close to 155D occasionally tinged             with close to 77B. Stigma diameter: About 1 mm. Stigma             shape: Cylindrical. Stigma color: Close to 155D. Ovary             color: Close to 144C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Penstemon. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Penstemon have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from −5° C. to 30° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Penstemon     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to Penstemon plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Penstemon plant named ‘Dopensprispin’ as illustrated and described. 